Rotorua quarantine: Isolating Kiwis treated to free balcony concert

Chris Webber serenades Kiwis' in quarantine

Kiwis isolating in a Rotorua hotel clapped and danced from the safety of their balconies as a local muso serenaded them at sunset.

Musician Chris Webber headed down to Sulphur Point at sunset yesterday in his van kitted out with speakers to give a "balcony concert" to those stuck in quarantine at Rotorua's Sudima Hotel.

"They are still us, I wanted to make them feel welcome," Webber told the Rotorua Daily Post.

Chris Webber serenaded isolating Kiwis in Rotorua on Sunday night. Photo / Supplied

He had the idea when it was first announced that people would be quarantined in Rotorua.

"There was so much negativity around... I wanted to keep the manaakitanga of the city alive."

A few weekends of rain had hindered Webber from heading down earlier, but he got dressed up warm to head down yesterday.

Webber's style of Spanish guitar wowed the balcony audience with many clapping along and dancing to the sweet tunes.

Chris Webber serenaded isolating Kiwis in Rotorua on Sunday night. Photo / Supplied

He said if the weather had been warmer, he would have played for about an hour but instead wrapped up after 20 minutes as he did not want them freezing in the cold.

"They seemed pretty rapt... hotel staff and security guards were giving me the thumbs up too. I knew it was a good idea, it just felt right."

He even talked a passerby into holding his microphone while he sang a few ballads in both te reo Māori and English.

His final song centred heavily around spreading the love, which was a message he wanted the people to hear, he said.

"They need to feel the love right now."

Local musician Chris Webber. Photo / File

He said he had wanted to do it for people quarantined at the Ibis Hotel but they did not have balconies.

"I might do it again, maybe even next weekend if anyone else wants to jam."

Webber was a professional musician but this had "tailed off" a bit over Covid-19, he said.

He performed a lot of local gigs and was well-known in the music community.